What Our Guests Say

Exceptional Location, Exceptional Service.
My family and I were fortunate to stay at Villa Azomalli for 7 days and it was a wonderful experience. The secure location along with the wonderful views both to the Pacific and inland made every moment a treat. The house staff was beyond accommodating and the food was incredible. They spoke English and assisted in coordinating all activities from the convenience of the house. The owner even called to ensure we were having a great time.
With the personal attention we received and the wonderful accommodations we look forward to returning every year.
Recommended for: Sightseeing, families with young children, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway, adventure seekers.

We took our family to Villa Azomalli in May, 2009 for our 40th wedding anniversary. There were 11 of us including our 11 and 15 and 18 year old grandchildren. It was the most incredible family holiday we’ve ever experienced. Tony’s staff were amazing. We had 3 sit down gourmet meals per day prepared by Cheli, our incredible chef. She purchased only fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and sea food and ensured each of us were totally satisfied.
We spent hours in the beautiful pool and private beach. Cheli arranged our excursions and each one was incredible from quading to fishing. I can’t say enough about the hospitality offered not only by Tony’s amazing staff but all the people of Huatluco.
It was so refreshing to see the pride they take in their community and the incredible respect they have for their natural environment including the animals and sea-life. We have recommended Villa Azomalli to all of our friends and we can’t wait for an opportunity to return. Thank you Tony for making our 40th anniversary family vacation one that we’ll cherish.

Loved it, loved it, loved it.
Villa Azomalli was just perfect. My family had a great time at your home in huatulco; there were eight of us, 3 teen-age girls (18-16-14) my two daughters, their husbands, and myself.
I do not know how to describe the fabulous time we had in your lovely home. We woke up every morning to the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, I had never seen the sunrise over the Pacific, and the sunset that evening also over the Pacific. What a sight.
Manuel, moved around like a shadow he would arrive around 5:00pm fold the laundry that was in the dryer, cut the hedges, and pick little peppers for cooking and after dinner he would help clean up and then disappear into his room. He would get up, clean the pool at 5:00am, and then squeeze fresh orange juice every morning for our breakfast. Fresh coffee would be sitting on the side table in the dining area. Manuel took great care of us.
(He is very shy)
Mayra, such a pretty young girl, what would we have done without that little workhorse, she would arrive around 6:00am set the table for breakfast and then start cleaning the Villa, and you would think we were the dirtiest visitors in the world. She would scrub all the floors with pine sol and bleach, we were all amazed that our bare feet were never dirty even though the living space is all outside and we were never in shoes.
After breakfast, she would help clean-up the kitchen, and then back to cleaning the bedrooms (four of them) this involved changing the sheets and bedspreads every other day. While she did the laundry, she would help with preparing lunch or dinner, she would leave around 3:00pm, there was a lot of energy in such a tiny package, I was very impressed with her work values, and she is a treasure.
Karina, always a smile on her beautiful face, home from college for the holidays, she helped her mother prepare the meals along with some help from Manuel, her boyfriend, (my granddaughters drooled over him) She would arrive with her mother about an hour before breakfast, lunch or dinner, carrying all the ingredients for our meal of the day. She served our meals, cleaned the table and made sure we had enough to eat.
Once we were rubbing our tummies from eating way to much, she would then wash dishes, and start prepping for our next meal. Her sandwiches for the beach were the best I have had. She was a breath of fresh air with her great personality.
Then there is Araceli, with her outgoing personality and easy laugh. She had the dubious job of feeding the brood, and feed us she did!! Oh, what a spread she would put out from banana pancakes to shrimp scampi. Her cervichi was the best I have had and I have had a lot, each evening she would go over the next day’s menu and work around our schedule, and we would work around hers. Araceli work tirelessly, she would shop daily so that every food item was fresh if we had a special request she would see that it was done.
What ever we wanted to know she would be our Book of Knowledge. She was our tour advisor knowing who to call for information about boat trips, horseback riding, taxis etc. She made us all feel welcomed and she and the rest of the staff became friends. We would sit at the dining table in the evening and fill each other in on our lives.
On New Years day, we shopped, prepared, served and cleaned up an American meal of hamburgers and potato salad for them and they seemed to enjoy it as much as we did.
You are very lucky to have such a loyal and hard working staff that takes care of your visitors and home with love and care.
This was a vacation my family and me will remember for years to come. Everything was perfect from your home to the beach and the staff (I hate using the word staff sounds so impersonal). Villa Azomalli was a home and not just a place to sleep and eat.
Tony thanks again for the use of your lovely home.
Glad I found you one the internet.

The Villa Azomalli is without doubt my favorite place in Mexico. I’m longing to go back, sit on the saltillo and bask in the quiet light of the villa’s white washed walls and simple, elegant beauty, listening to the ocean and inhaling deeply. The place is magic!
Tony was one of the first Americans to build in Huatulco, so his villa is well situated and his relationship in the small community of Ex-Pat Europeans, Canadians, and Americans who have built vacation and retirement villas alongside vacation homes of Mexico’s wealthy elite is well established. From his neighbors, to the caretakers and cooks (dare I say Araceli is a goddess?), local restaurateurs, and other service providers, I found friendly, competent, knowledgeable people willing to help us have a great time without emptying our wallets. Staying at the Azomalli is a great choice, the place so captivated me that I spend far more time than I should daydreaming about going back.
There are lots of rental villas in Huatulco. I’ve stayed in several of them, looked at most all of them, and hopped around a few of the hotels a bit too. The Azomalli is wonderful in that the space itself is so peaceful, and light filled. It’s serene. Grown-up.
That said, it’s a great place to stay with kids because the house and the yard, which has a grassy area out back has more space than many of the other villas in Conejos Bay, and the elegant simplicity of the place makes for a great family vacation.. We had the kids with us for one day, and I hosted my wedding reception there one evening, it was wonderful!
Additionally, six of us (three couples) stayed for a quieter week, stretching out and relaxing in the villa and feeling as if we had twice the space we needed. The house is like that. For all its simplicity and openness, it’s easy to find a place to meditate alone without having to lock yourself in your room. Likewise, you can entertain on a big scale because the layout was designed with this in mind.
The house itself is a perfect blend of modern and traditional Mexican architecture, making it a divine place to stay because the space and light are soothing and healing. For those of us that tire quickly of the brightly colored whimsy and spaces filled with knickknacks that is pervasive when traveling in Mexico, the Azomalli is a respite and a dream! The rooms are large, with great views.
From the front there are views of the ocean and out back there are views of the hills. Breakfast on the rear patio, in the morning sun is one of my fondest memories. Dinners around the table in the outdoor sala are among some of the best evenings I’ve spent anywhere.
Traeme una copa mi amor! Voy abrir una botella de vino tinto; Salud, y buen provecho!

I wanted to let you know that our week at the villa recently was the best possible vacation we could have experienced in Mexico ! We are still in awe of the whole experience.
Aricelli’s awesome food, hospitality, ability to ensure we were connected to the right people and events were amazing ! We will always have heartfelt memories of her and the entire staff. When we arrived we were a little amazed at the openness of the villa but after the first day we fell in love with living outdoors and would have it no other way !
Huatulco has become a very special place for our family as we reminisce about our deep sea fishing trip (and the huge sailfish we caught), the ATV jungle / river tour (wow) and the coffee plantation trip (a must). Every outing seemed tailor made to us because Aricelli knew who to call – who spoke some English – what we needed for the trip ! Perfect ! Even our short trips into town for shopping were made extra meaningful because of the specific cab drivers Aricelli lined up for us. We saw things most tourists would never even know to ask about ! It was amazing.
Just as nice was the private pool and the serenity of the Villa itself. We enjoyed lazy afternoons relaxing in the cool breeze and sunning near the pool. Exactly what we needed.

It was everything I had hoped for and more. Jimmy and I had been in Huatulco for Christmas, 2006 for the first time and stayed at Las Brisas. We loved the area and decided we would come back. In April of 2007 Jimmy surprised me with a trip to St. Martin where he rented a house (the first time for renting a house) for my birthday. Upon our return to Chicago, he immediately started surfing the net for a house to rent in Huatulco and came upon this place.
It’s everything all the reviews say and more. Aricelli is the most excellent cook and I will go back to the Villa Azomalli because of her. She is very sweet and accomodating and made our visit a memorable one. Nicolas,too, was so very polite and courteous. The staff makes this a dream vacation….of course, the house and its’ location doesn’t hurt either.
You’ll never regret your decision to stay here as opposed to a hotel…there’s NO comparison.

It’s been a month since we returned from Huatulco and and we’re still in absolute awe of our wonderful vacation highlighted by the warm experience we had at Villa Azomalli This home is situated in an incredible neighborhood of beautiful houses where just “taking a morning stroll” is a feast for the senses. We thrilled to the sunrises and sunsets viewed from “our” patio and backyard, and were truly amazed by the daily entertainment provided by passing whales, porpoises and rays – WHAT A VIEW!!!
Aricelli started each day for us with huge platters of fresh fruit complimented by Huervos Ranceros or belgian waffles and more – and the dinners were truly the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, including fabulous homemade Mole…we were really spoiled. Our favorite memory… sipping Aricelli’s freshly-made Margaritas, while watching the manta rays splash in the Pacific Ocean, as we lounged in our own private pool…Paradise! We are so glad we found Villa Azomalli and can’t wait to go back!

My sister won a week stay at Villa Azomalli in a raffle last year. Being as sweet as she is and as pregnant as she was (she was unable to travel by airplane), she gave the week to us as a wedding present. We couldn’t have been more pleased with our honeymoon:
As we drove from the airport to Villa Azomalli, our honeymoon palace, I was stunned by Huatulco’s lush Sierra Madres’ jungle greenery and the serene Pacific blue beaches. The house itself, sat high up on a perch, surrounded by both. The air was hot, heavy and fragrantly thick.
Upon our arrival at the Villa, we became acquainted with our cook, Aracelli, and with our surroundings. Aracelli gave us a grand tour of the villa. She had supplied our room with a cooling bottle of champagne.
Freshly plucked rose petals curved in a heart shape on our white bread spread. The pool lay invitingly right outside our sliding glass door. Within minutes, we found ourselves baking in the sun, poolside with fresh margaritas in hand and home made chips with salsa and guacamole. I had never had any better.
That night, after a dinner of steak fajitas and vegetables, we took a walk. Away from the lights of the house, millions of stars created a bright net above our heads. We stood in silence and total awe.
Huatulco is just beginning to be developed for tourism, but as of yet, it is still very secluded and peaceful. We were there off-season, in October 1998, just us lovebirds and endless miles of deserted beaches, mostly only accessible by boat. We spend several afternoons at these secluded beaches, scuba diving, tanning and drinking cerveza. We also spent an afternoon on ATVs, four-wheeling through the dense jungle around La Cruccita.
I highly recommended these tours for people who like speed. The highlight of the week was when our cook, Aracelli, took us to her hometown in the jungles of the Sierra Madres Mountains. We rode for two hours in the back of a truck up into the mountains, where Aracelli’s mother and brothers and sisters live in a town called Benito Juarez. They cooked lunch for us and then took us hiking all afternoon far into the jungle.
I don’t think that everyone can count on a jungle tour, but that act is indicative of the hospitality we received at the Villa. Aracelli’s kindness and professionalism cannot be overstated.
Needless to say, we are hoping to go back soon and have been spreading the good word about Huatulco and the Casa de Tony Palos.

I just returned from the Villa where my husband, Paul, and I spent our honeymoon. What a beautiful place. Not only was the villa better than I expected, the Huatulco area was filled with wonderful people and fun activities. Paul and I are telling everyone we possibly can about the amazing foods we ate, prepared by Aracelli. My gosh, she can cook better than anyone I know. I hope that we will be able to return next year to celebrate all over again.
Thank you Tony for having such a beautiful villa. Thank you Don Jose for your assistance in the home, and Thank you Celli – you made our honeymoon perfect, from the food we ate, to the adventures you set-up for us. It was a week I will never forget.

What a great place in a great spot! Pretty cool to be hooking sailfish within SIGHT of the CASA! Araceli proved to be everything we read in previous comments – warm, attentive, superb cook, funny…The villa is easy to visit but hard to leave-and we do so reluctantly.
Thanks for everything.

Everything has certainly lived up to our expectations. I doubt if we could have found a more beautiful or peaceful place to enjoy our honeymoon. Araceli was wonderful as our cook. We will be sure to recommend Villa Azomalli to all our friends, and hope to return soon. Special thanks to Rick Ristau for getting us here and the gift of dinner.

Tony, your generosity and kindness are much appreciated, We will spread the word to many far and wide of this lovely villa and locale. Huatulco is certainly the ” paraiso de la futura “. And a special note of gratitude to Araceli and your great staff. They are truly a joy. She has been quite wonderful catering to our every wish and anticipating our every need. We love this Lady! The bureau of tourism has also shown us a marvelous time.
Thanks so much for everything! Come to Seattle and our casa will be your casa.

I don’t want to leave! This place and it’s people captivate you! The surroundings are wonderful. The food much too good for and old man like me who should be on a diet…muchas gracias Araceli! Our memories of you and the villa will last a lifetime.

This is as close to heaven as anyone would hope to get. Araceli is the best. Her cooking is wonderful. I will miss all of you.

Villa Azomalli has been a wonderful spring break for our family. Quiet beautiful-it will be difficult to go back to the hussle bussle of Chicago. We heard it snowed two inches while we were on vacation—hurray!! The beaches of Huatulco were fantastic. We especially enjoyed the tour through the nine bays.
The only thing better than the beauty of Huatulco was the hospitality of Chelli, Gladys, and Don Jose. Chelli’s cooking will be remembered for a long time. Farewell to Villa Azomalli. We had an absolutely wonderful time.

What a very special place to relax and call home for a week. Five of us here today went deep sea fishing. Have already gone shopping in town, atv trails were a lot of fun. Watched the daily progress on the new houses being built around us-their all so beautiful-wish they were ours. Relaxed, read books and ate great food. Araceli is a sweet heart and great chef. We thank you all for a wonderful vacation and break from the daily grind. We can all go back with clean heads and minds to face another year—till our next vacation. Beautiful Huatulco, we shall never forget it and hopefully return soon. Thanks for much,

Thank you for a special ” peaceful week “. We very much enjoyed the slow pace and tranquility. Celli your cooking was awesome and thanks for taking care of our every need.
Don Jose for looking out for us also. We hope to come back! Thanks again.

With a ‘chef’ like Chelli how can you go wrong!! Keep smiling Don Jose-this place is beautiful!! Thanks for the fun, sun, and ” I and I”. What a joy to see the Sol truck. We thought we were pretty special. Hope to see you again. Chelli if you’re ever in Illinois—look us up. ” Gringo loco .”

It will be hard to go back to our ‘real’ lives. I could continue here in our ‘pretend’ life. This is a wonderful villa. The name certainly fits! I have never been quite so tranquil! Chelli, our chef, is too good. What wonderful food! We enjoyed the area of Huatulco and hope to visit again. Thank you!

Chelli please come home with us. You have truly spoiled us. The villa, Don Jose, and Chelli are very special. We had a fantastic time with special friends. Thanks.